A Holiday Ride

jeffrey gebler

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#1
I just received this in an envelope today with a few others and thought that I would post the report that I did on the other sight. Hopefully it will not cause as much of a drama as it did on the other sight.


After reading about Philmor’s WOW ride and the welcoming group he had at the Big Merino I thought that with the extra day off of work that I had this week I would take a ride and have a look at the famous Big Merino myself.
I knew from the beginning that the ride would be difficult to fit into the 24 hours that I had put aside for this ride and I do apologize for the lack of photos due to the time restraints.

I do like to start my L.D. rides at night or very early mornings but this one was going to be different and to have a start time of 13:00.
I decided on this time for four reasons;
1. to avoid peak hour traffic in Melbourne
2. to do the majority of the night riding on the relatively roo safe Hume
3. to get though Wagga in the early morning
4. to avoid the forecast heat of the Hay Plains

After a very good night sleep I was up at 11:00, had a coffee and something light to eat. The bike was packed and ready to go so all I needed was fill both tanks and get the appropriate paper work signed. My starting time was 12:57 and my starting point was Littlehampton in the Adelaide Hills which is conveniently located near the freeway entrance.

The weather was perfect for riding and the holiday traffic was relatively light. I reached Ararat (497 km) for my first my first fuel stop in just under 5 hours. With the one tank filled I was about to head into Melbourne. My starting time paid off and I made my way through the traffic with no delays.
I then stopped in Kalkallo (229km.) for a corner docket and to top both tanks up before heading up the Hume into the night. I also added another layer and switched to some warmer gloves as the temperature was beginning to drop.
I enjoyed the solitude of this part of the ride with a few trucks to contend with the traffic was fairly light considering it was the beginning of a long week end.
With a quick fuel stop in Gundagai (461Km) I reached the object of my destination (1350km) in 12 hours 45 minutes. A quick refill of both tanks a look around the Big Merino and it was back on the Hume heading towards Wagga.

Another uneventful leg of the ride with barely any traffic had me refilling just one tank in Wagga (255km.) and I was shortly back on the Stuart Highway heading for home. A beautiful sun rise was witnessed through my rear view mirrors.

I also saw my first wildlife of the ride with mobs of emus scatted along the way to the next mandatory photo stop.

My last fuel stop was shortly after crossing the Murray in Piangil (449km.) By this time the weather was warming up and it was time to take the layers off for the last 400 plus kilometers of today’s ride.
I was beginning to encounter some holiday traffic and by the time I got to Tailem Bend I had to make the decision of when to finish the ride. My original plan was to finish where I had begun but if I encountered traffic and delays along the way I ran the risk of missing the 24 hour mark by a few minutes. My back up plan had me finishing in Murray Bridge which was a good choice as I was hungry and after obtaining my finish docket it was down to the river for some lunch.


Total Km: 2549/ GPS 2462/ 1529 miles
Total Time: 23 Hours 34 Minutes


« Last Edit: January 30, 2017, 11:15:36 AM by jeffthechef »
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